Dependency
by jljj1996
Summary: Darkness. That's all Brandon sees. After a nearly fatal bus crash, he has been blind for only about six months. Coping is hard. He misses many of the things he used to be able to do. Help for him will come in the most unlikely of places... a lab experiment. One phone call changes his life when he is asked to participate in a unique experiment that could change the world.
1. Chapter 1-1

**Hey everyone, JJ here, with a new story and a new genre! I'm really excited about this one as well as My Brother's Keeper... and one other story I have in the works! F3 All I will say is that it involves Professor Layton and one of the best authors I know! ) (Not me, although, I'm in it too.) Well, let's cut the chit-chat. My commentary will be minimal for the first three chapters...**

Dependency

**Episode 1**

**A Unique Experiment**

**Chapter 1**

Brandon awoke to the buzzing of his alarm clock. He groaned. He forgot to shut it off. After a bit of fumbling on his dresser, his hand found the "Off" button. Brandon sat up. No use trying to get to bed now. Once he was up, there was no going back to bed. He shuffled his way to his bedroom door.

Brandon slowly ambled into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face to help himself wake up. The tips of his shaggy brown hair clung together as the water hit them. Brandon slapped his face a couple of times to make sure he was awake before leaving. He went to the nearest window in his apartment and opened it up. The sound of taxis honking, pigeons cooing, and people yelling at each other filled the air. The sweet sounds of New York City.

Brandon was pretty lucky for a 14 year old. He lived in one of the coolest cities ever, with one of the coolest moms ever.

"Brandon!" Elise, Brandon's mom, groaned as she walked into the room. "It's six o'clock in the morning! On a Saturday!" Brandon's mother had brown hair, much like his, that was down to the middle of her back.

"Sorry Mom." Brandon said, closing the window. "I accidentally left my alarm on."

"I figured, but I was talking about the window!" His mom said. "It's too noisy out there to be opened this time of day!"

"But it sounds so nice today Mom!" Brandon said, opening the window and waving his mother over. "Listen!" His mom stuck her head out the window and closed her eyes.

"...Yeah. I guess you're right." His mom said, smiling. "Maybe this was worth getting up at 6:00 for."

"I think it's going to be a good day." Brandon said, walking away.

"You really think so?" Elise asked as she closed the window.

"Yep." Brandon said, going over to the wall clock and rubbing his hands on it. "Oh, and Mom?"

"Yes honey?"

"It's 7:00, not six."

One important thing you have to know about Brandon is that he's blind.

About 6 months ago, Brandon was in an accident. He was taking the bus to school, when it was hit by a semi-truck going through an intersection. The glass from the windows lodged themselves into Brandon's eyes, making them unusable. For the next few months, Brandon had to learn how to do things without seeing. It was a grueling process, but Brandon was getting better and better each day. Although, he missed doing some of the things he used to do.

Play football.

Play video games with his friends.

Doodle on his class notes.

Watch the sun rise.

See colors.

It was hard for Brandon. Yet through everything, Brandon found a new passion.

Listening.

It was fun to hear all of the sounds he had missed while he was still seeing. He started to hear things sharper, clearer, more in focus. He noticed that his favorite rap song had a really rocking bass track. He noticed that his mom's voice wavered whenever she laughed. He noticed that the library really wasn't as quiet as you'd think it would be. Brandon was still pretty happy, despite the fact that he couldn't see.

But there were some days where he missed his sight. And he wished, even if just for a little while, that he could see again.

"Mom, do we have any milk?" Brandon asked.

"Okay, I know you just woke up, but maybe you should wait to have breakfast until later today." His mom said, quickly putting on her Police vest and putting her hair into a bun.

"So that's a no." Brandon said walking over to the couch, preparing to sit down.

"A little to your right." Mom said right before he sat down on thin air. Brandon corrected himself and sat down. "Yes, that is a no. But cut me some slack, it's 7:00, I haven't gone grocery shopping yet... or even gone out yet. Left." Brandon reached a little further to the left and found the remote control. He flicked on the T.V.

"Excuses excuses!" Brandon said teasingly.

"You're a pain in my butt!" Elise walked over and gave Brandon a quick hug. "I'm gonna be late, love you!" She planted a kiss on his cheek and hurried out the door, putting her Police hat on as she ran out. Brandon laughed and shook his head. She needed a better alarm clock. He started changing channels, listening to each one, to see if there was anything he liked.

"Seen it."

"Chick flick."

"Infomercial."

"No way."

He finally stopped.

"CSI... yeah, sure, why not?" He sat back and started to listen.

"Sooooo booooored." Brandon groaned. He stood up and felt his way back to the wall clock.

7:30.

Brandon banged his head against the wall. Saturday morning, and nothing to do. He felt his way back to the couch and slumped into the cushion.

"What to do..." Brandon wondered. He didn't want to watch the television anymore, but it seemed like the only option. It was too early to call his friends, and he couldn't step out without someone knowing he was leaving. If he tried to call his mom to ask if he could leave, he would have to go through her crabby secretary. He was bored, but not that bored. Brandon walked over to the window once again, and opened it. He stuck his head out and listened once again.

"Hey, move it will ya!"

"So Humphrey was saying that he-"

"Brandon!" A voice from below yelled. Brandon smiled.

"Hey Lou!" Brandon yelled down. Lou was one of the best hotdog makers and venders this side of the Hudson. Brandon and his mom were great friends with the man, since they made it a tradition to go and get hot dogs from him every Sunday. He was about 45, with a thick brown mustache, and no hair. He was a bit heavy set, but not to the point where he would be called fat.

"Hey, I saw your mom running out here!" Lou yelled, his voice thick with a New York accent. Brandon and his mom didn't have one, but they were pretty good at pretending to.

"Yeah, she was late. Again." Brandon rolled his eyes.

"Tell her to buy a new alarm clock!" Lou said, as he handed a man a hot dog.

"I will!" Brandon yelled. "How's business?"

"It's going slow today kiddo!" Lou said. "I've only sold like three dogs in the last five minutes!"

"Send one up!" Brandon yelled down. "I'll be right back with the lift!" Brandon felt his way to his bedroom. He made his way over to the dresser and felt along the top until he found what he wanted. It wasn't very fancy, a square piece of wood connected by a string to a motor. Brandon went back to the window, set the motor on the window sill, placed a couple bucks and a rock to weigh them down with on the board, and pressed a button on the motor. The motor whirred, and the string got longer and longer, sending the board down to the street below.

"Thanks Brand!" Lou yelled up. "I appreciate doing business with you!" Lou carefully grabbed the board and took the money. "I'll make you something special! A breakfast hotdog I came up with!"

"Sounds good!" Brandon yelled. Lou laughed, a bellowing, deep sort of laugh that you couldn't help but smile at. A few minutes passed.

"All right, reel 'er on up!" Lou yelled. Brandon pressed a button, the motor whirring back to life. The string shortened once again, as the board traveled back up to the window. The smell of sausages and bacon drifted to Brandon's nose, making his mouth water.

"Is it a bacon wrapped sausage?" Brandon asked Lou.

"Good! What else?" Lou challenged.

"Hmm... Eggs... and tater tots?"

"Hash browns! Good guess though!" Lou chuckled.

"Thanks Lou!" Brandon yelled down!

"Take care of yourself Brandon!" Lou called back. Brandon hungrily grabbed the board and brought it to the table. He carefully grabbed the dog, brought it up to his mouth, and took a bite.

Brandon closed his eyes and smiled.

"Lou, you've done it again." Brandon said, as he took another large bite.

"Now what time is it?" Brandon asked himself, walking over to the wall clock and feeling the hands.

9:20

"That's more like it!" Brandon smiled, then made his way over to the phone.

Or where he thought the phone was. He felt the surface of the table, but nothing was there.

"No." Brandon thought. "No, no, no, no, no!" Brandon started to search furiously, getting down on his hands and knees and sweeping the floor with his arm. He didn't feel anything, and started to stand up.

Unfortunately, there was a table in the way. Brandon hit into it hard. He fell back down to the ground, groaned, then slid back and sat up, rubbing his head. This was one of those days where he hated being blind. He misplaces one thing, and he can never find it again.

Just then, the phone rang. The phone that was right next to him. Brandon glared at the sound before grumpily snatching it off of the ground.

"What?!" Brandon said angrily into the phone.

"Um... is this Brandon Jennings?" A male voice asked.

"Oh, um, yes, this is him." Brandon said in a much kinder tone.

"Hello, my name is Professor Hampton, I'm from TeL-PEcK labs."

"Oh, that giant white building..." Brandon said. He passed by it on his way to school before he went blind.

"We have randomly chosen you and four other teenagers to take part in an experiment that could change the world. Would you be willing to come down here at about 4:00 P.M?" The Professor asked.

"Sure, but, uh, I didn't sign up for any of this." Brandon said, a little unsure of what was going on. What if this was a prank?

"The experiment we are doing was top secret, but we are now ready to begin testing. If we sent out any applications for test subjects, rival companies could come and steal our ideas." Brandon wasn't entirely sure if he believed that, but he really didn't care.

He was blind, how much worse could one prank make him?

"I'll be there!"

"So this guy just calls out of the blue?" Elise asked her son.

"Yeah, he said I was chosen to be in an experiment that could change the world!" Brandon told his mom excitedly. "I already said I could go! I'm not sure if I believe him, but I figured, what the heck, right?"

"I wish you would have talked to me about this before hand." His mom said, sounding a bit worried.

"I'm sorry, but it sounded like he needed an answer right then." Brandon said, lying a bit.

"...Okay, but you need to at least let me walk you down. I don't want you heading out that way all alone."

"Whatever you say Mom!" Brandon said. "Love you!"

"Love you too!" She replied, and they both hung up.

The hours seemed to drag on at that point for Brandon. The closer and closer the hour came, the more and more excited Brandon got about the whole thing. When his mother finally came home, he still had a good hour to go before they could leave.

"What do you think I'm testing?" Brandon asked.

"I don't know, what does the world need to revolutionize?" His mom asked back.

"...Lunch food?" Brandon asked.

"I wouldn't mind a better law enforcement program." Elise said back.

"Or what about better modes of transportation?" Brandon fantasized. "Flying cars, jet packs."

"A device that eliminates traffic!" Elise said, snapping her fingers.

"A new weapon to fight with!" Brandon said, making his fingers into a gun and waving it around the room.

"Television that you can feel to watch." Elise said, grabbing her son's hand and holding it.

"Now that would be cool!" Brandon said.

"I know, right?" She and Brandon laughed.

"My mom is so awesome!" Brandon thought to himself.

"Don't get too excited though." Elise said, checking her watch. "We still have a good fifty-five minutes left." Brandon stood up and checked the wall clock.

"Mom... we have to be there in five minutes." Brandon said.

Elise and Brandon burst into the reception area of the laboratory.

"You need... a better... watch!" Brandon said between deep breaths of air.

"I'll put it at the top of my list." His mom said back, just as tiredly.

It was a hard run. Imagine running through one of the busiest cities in town, then imagine doing that without being able to see anything.

"You're just in time." A voice in front of them said.

"You... you're the man from the phone call!" Brandon said, straightening himself up. "Professor Hampson right?

"Hampton." The scientist corrected. "A pleasure to meet you Brandon." He was tall, and wore a white lab coat over a turquoise blue shirt. He had short, dark hair that spiked up in the front, and had small glasses resting on the tip of his nose. "Right this way, let's get you introduced to your fellow testers."

"Okay." Brandon nodded. "Bye Mom!" He turned to give his mom a quick squeeze.

"Bye sweetheart!" She hugged back. "Be good, listen to what they tell you okay?" She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Call me when you're done, I'll come get you."

"Right this way." The Professor called out. Brandon nodded at his mom, then followed the Professor's voice. He accidentally bumped into a corner on the way to him.

"Are you okay?" The professor asked.

"I'm fine." Brandon replied. "It happens all the time."

"You might want to get your depth perception checked." The Professor suggested.

"I don't have any. I'm blind." Brandon said, walking down the hall, placing one of his hands on the wall for guidance.

"Oh... I'm... sorry!" The Professor said a little awkwardly.

"Don't be!" Brandon said cheerfully. "It's not your fault."

"...I apologize. Had I known you were blind, I might not have chosen you for this specific experiment." The Professor said, a little sadly.

"What do you mean?" Brandon tried not to sound offended, but he hated it when people tried to exclude him from things, just because he's blind.

"You can't play video games anymore, can you?"

"No."

"Have you ever played a game called Pokemon before?"

"Yeah, but when I was really little. I've only been blind for six months now."

"...Well, we'll just let bygones be bygones. Hurry now!" The Professor said, making Brandon pick up his pace.

"Why did you ask me about Pokemon?" Brandon asked, feeling a bit curious.

"It'll all become clear soon. Right in here please."


	2. Chapter 1-2

**Chapter 2**

The door to the testing room opened. The four already gathered turned to see the Professor lead Brandon to a chair and set him down. The girl sitting directly next to him smiled.

"You got dragged into this too?" She asked.

"I volunteered actually." Brandon said, looking over at her as best he could.

"Have we met before?" The girl asked.

"Um... nope, I don't think so." Brandon replied, searching his memory for her voice.

"Well then, hi! I'm Tania." The girl extended her hand.

"I'm Brandon." He replied. The girl extended her hand out further, expecting a hand shake. When nothing came, she awkwardly drew her hand back. "Hey Tania?"

"Yeah?" She looked back at him.

"Could you describe yourself to me?" He asked.

"...What?" She looked at him with curiosity.

"Well, you see..." He lowered his voice so no one else could hear. "I'm blind."

"I'm short for my age. 14 by the way." She started. "Um... blond hair, goes down to my shoulders, white skin, and I'm wearing the cutest pink shirt with jeans. How long have you been blind?"

"Six months." Brandon replied. "It's funny, most people usually say something along the lines of 'I'm sorry' when they first meet me."

"I've done some work with blind people, so it's not that big a deal." Tania replied. Brandon nodded, looking impressed.

"Welcome everyone!" The Professor said from the front of the room. "Thank you all for volunteering to participate in this experiment! In a few short moments, we'll get started, but first, by the show of hands, who here know what Pokemon are?" Everyone raised their hands, some more embarrassed by it than others. "Okay, and who has played it recently, at least within the last 2 years?" Every hand but one went down. The Professor nodded and typed something on a tablet he was carrying.

"Does this Professor guy look the way he sounds?" Brandon whispered to Tania.

"You mean incredibly nerdy? No, not really." Tania whispered back.

"Who raised their hands at the second question he asked?" Brandon asked.

"Only one kid, he's really, really skinny, with short... blue hair, small, red framed glasses. Looks a bit like a nerd." She answered.

"Who are the other two?" Brandon whispered again. The professor started talking again, talking about some kind of sciency thing and how this was a big honor for all of them.

"One is this really tall African kid, he's like 18, I think his name was Abraham. The other is this really pretty girl, about 16 I think, black hair down to her waist, Jennifer was her name."

"What about the nerdy looking kid?"

"I don't know... he didn't talk much." Tania replied. The two tuned back into the Professor's speech.

"...Today we make a great step forward in breeding tactics and animal studies! We have found a way to create the impossible!" The Professor paused for dramatic effect. "Today, Ladies and Gentleman, we have found a way to create a Pokemon."

The room went silent for a moment before everyone but the nerdy kid burst out laughing.

"You're kidding, right?" Abraham asked. His voice only contained a hint of an African Accent, but enough to know that there was one there.

"No, I'm not." The Professor said, smiling a bit. "Chancey? The Pokedex please!" The room suddenly went quiet as small footsteps were heard, coming from one of the small hallways that led from the room. A Chancey happily walked out, chirping as it walked.

"...Is there really a-" Brandon asked.

"Uh-huh." Tania replied, dumbstruck. The Chancey walked over to the Professor and pulled five Pokedexes from out of the small pouch on its front.

"Thank you Chancey." The Professor said.

"Chancey!" The pink Pokemon winked, waved at the testers, then walked off. Everyone went quiet for a moment.

"...So, you were saying about making Pokemon?" Jennifer asked, sounding a bit uncertain.

"It was an accident really. We were trying to create a perfect animal, one that could be put into a variety of uses, like therapy for hospital patients, seeing eye dogs, et cetera, when one of our scientists got bored and thought 'Hey, why don't I try to create a Pikachu, just for fun.'" Suddenly, a small Pikachu ran up to the Professor and scrambled it's way up to his head.

"Pika?"

"No, I wasn't calling for you." The Professor laughed, taking the Pikachu off his head and setting it down. "Run along, now." The Pikachu looked at the testers, then slowly walked over to them.

"Aaaaw, it's so cute!" Tania squealed. The Pikachu seemed to smile, and run up to Tania. It settled down on her lap. "Brandon!" She gasped. "Give me your hand!"

"Why?" Brandon asked. Tania didn't wait for permission. She grabbed Brandon's hand and placed it on top of the Pikachu's head.

"...Is that-" Brandon asked, amazed.

"Yeah!" She answered. Brandon rubbed the Pikachu's head, much to its enjoyment, before putting his hand back down. Tania took his place and scratched behind the Pikachu's ears. The yellow mouse closed his eyes and sighed.

"Looks like our Pikachu has taken a liking to you." The Professor said. Tania giggled.

"I think I've taken a liking to it too!" She said back.

"Well, how would you like to keep it, and raise it as your own?" The Professor asked.

"Could I?!" Tania asked excitedly. The Pikachu looked at the Professor and gasped too.

"In fact, by the end of the day, all of you are going to take home a Pokemon." The Professor continued. "We want to see how they'll react to the real world. See if maybe we can make something out of this, turn Pokemon from a mindless video game into a way for children to learn about the world around them, and to teach them responsibility. Pokemon could be used as therapy pets as well, since we're finding they are relatively easy to train, and very fast learners as well. We're finding more applications for them each day." The Professor waved a hand. "I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. First, why don't we have you choose your Pokemon. Tania, I assume you are happy with your choice?" Tania nodded ferociously. He handed the remaining four a Pokedex. "These devices contain information about each Pokemon Nintendo has come up with. All you need to do is pick one of them to be yours."

Brandon felt the small heavy square in his hands. He tried to figure out what to do with it, but couldn't find any buttons or latches.

"Actually, Brandon." The Professor said, walking over to him. "If you don't mind, I think I have a Pokemon in mind for you."

"What is it?" Brandon asked, sounding a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to pretend to be able to read.

"You'll just have to see." The Professor winked before walking off.

One by one, each person left to go choose a Pokemon. They were escorted into a different room. Soon, the only people left were Tania, Brandon, and the Pikachu.

"Tania?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah Brandon?"

"Will you go with me? So you can describe to me what's going on?"

"Of course I will. Won't we Pika?" Tania looked at the little mouse in her lap, who answered with a happy squeak.

"Pika? You named it?" Brandon asked, laughing a bit.

"Yeah! And I'm thinking it's a she!" Tania said, looking at Pika. "Am I right?"

"Pika Pika!" Pika smiled and nodded.

"I see why you named her Pika!" Brandon said, reaching over to pet the rodent. His hand was slightly off, but Pika moved herself under his hand to help a bit. He scratched her head for a while.

"Brandon?" A female assistant called out from a hallway. Brandon and Tania perked up. "Please follow me." The assistant said in an all too chipper tone. Tania and Brandon stood up.

"Could you... um... guide me?" Brandon said, trying to determine where the assistant's voice came from. Tania gently grabbed Brandon's hand. Brandon blushed a bit, but remained calm otherwise.

"Stay close." She said, walking forward. Tania carefully guided Brandon down the hallway, warning him of any dangers along the way.

"The floor's a little uneven here."

"Watch your right, there's a little cart about a foot away."

"Wha- Pika! Sorry, she's getting a little antsy, watch where you step."

The two finally made their way to the end of the hallway.

"Just go in and sit down, the Professor will be just a moment." The assistant said. Brandon and Tania gave a quick thank you before walking in. Tania guided Brandon to a seat, and sat down next to him.

"Where are we now?" Brandon asked.

"It's a pretty simple room." Tania said, looking around. "It's almost completely white... there's this glass cylinder looking thing in the middle of the room... and a computer in the corner to your right. Not much else."

"That's... pretty boring." Brandon said, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Not for long!" The Professor said, marching into the room through a pair of doors on the left hand wall. "Are you ready Brandon?"

"Yes sir." Brandon said, feeling somewhat excited, before he realized something. "Wait... I won't be able to see the Pokemon." Brandon's stomach sank. He was a little sad that he wouldn't be able to play with his Pokemon the way the other testers could. Tania sympathetically rubbed his shoulder.

"...Yes..." The Professor said, sadly, walking over to Brandon. "That's why I was a little hesitant when you said you were blind. The world for you right now is very different from the world everyone else sees. Therefore, this experience will be very different for you, verses everyone else. Which is why I chose your Pokemon for you." The Professor smiled.

"What do you mean?" Brandon asked.

"You'll just have to see, won't you." The Professor said, teasingly. He stood up and walked over to the computer. "Tania, I understand you've been Brandon's eyes for a little. You may want to describe what happens next. This moment is going to change his life forever!" The Professor punched some buttons and flipped a switch.

"Wonder how many times he's said that today?" Brandon whispered to Tania. She and her Pikachu giggled. The glass tube in the center of the room started to whir.

"Now Tania!" The Professor said.

"...Oookaaay..." She looked at the Professor. "He's taking this a bit too seriously." She whispered back. "Okay, so the tube is starting to glow. Really bright actually, like a bright yellow!" The whir began to get louder, as what sounded like electricity crackled in the air. Tania yelled above the noise. "Now all these green numbers are wrapping around it. It's like a computer code. They keep changing, like it's searching for the right letter or number or something. ...Wait, there's something in there! It's fuzzy, but there's almost like an outline of a person inside the tube. It's getting a bit sharper now... It definitely isn't human, but it's humanoid." Tania stopped and squinted. "I just can't see what it is..."

"Focus Tania!" The Professor said over the machine. It got louder yet, becoming almost deafening.

"Right... so, the computer codes are beginning to stop changing... some of them anyways. ...They seem to be stopping in the shape of that thing inside the tube! And now this blue line is running up and down the tube... almost like a scanner on a copier. Each time it passes in front of the thing inside, it gets a little sharper." Tania squinted once again. The noise began to die down. "The glow's dieing down now... the numbers are disappearing one by one... The tube's got a ton of smoke or something in it now, I can't see a thing."

"That's enough Tania. It's done." The Professor said, sounding somewhat winded. The machine went quiet, making the room seem eerily silent.

"You okay Professor?" Brandon asked.

"Hm? Oh, yes." The Professor said, laughing. "I always hold my breath whenever this happens. It's like watching a really big action scene in a movie, you just get so excited you can't breathe!" The Professor laughed some more before walking over to the tube. "Come on Brandon, come meet your new Pokemon!" Brandon stood up, but hesitated a moment, not quite sure exactly which way to go. Tania stood up and giggled, before grabbing his hand again.

"Come on!" She said, giving him a playful tug. Brandon smiled, but his heart began to beat a mile a minute. He was really excited, but nervous as well. What was his Pokemon? Would it like him?

What would his mom think when he brought home a Pokemon? "It better be cute," Brandon thought, "Otherwise, it's not gonna be in the house for long." Tania slowed to a stop, and Brandon stopped right along with her. The Professor pulled on a small handle on the tube, opening a door. A hissing sound escaped from the opening, as hot steam came pouring out. Tania looked at the Pokemon.

"Wow." She said. "He looks _really_ cool!" She said. "The Professor gave you a good one!"

"Come on out." The Professor coaxed. "We won't hurt you. You two may want to take a few steps back, give it some room." He said to Brandon and Tania. Tania gently pulled Brandon away. Brandon heard padded footsteps walk to the tube's exit and touch the floor. It made a small gasp as it pulled away from the cold tile, before setting its foot down again, and fully getting out of the tube.

"Brandon, could you step forward please? Leave him be this time Tania, let him experience this on his own." The Professor said. Brandon nervously took a step forward.

"Now, from now on, you two will stick together." The Professor told Brandon and his new Pokemon. "Brandon, take good care of your Pokemon." The Professor said. "And you take care of Brandon." The Professor looked at the Pokemon. "Now Brandon, hold your hand out." Brandon nodded, and shakily extended his arm. His fingers trembled ever so slightly. The Professor gave Brandon's Pokemon a small nudge towards his hand. Brandon heard the Pokemon's padded feet take a few steps forward, then stop. Brandon almost pulled his hand back when he felt something warm, furry, and slightly damp touch the palm of his hand.


	3. Chapter 1-3

**Chapter 3**

"Why are you so nervous?" A new voice asked. Brandon whipped his head around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"I-I'm not nervous... really." Brandon said out loud.

"You're shaking..." The voice said. Brandon felt another warm, fuzzy damp thing press down on the back of his hand, gently flattening it out, trying to stop Brandon's trembling. "Relax. I won't hurt you." The voice said.

"...You can talk?" Brandon asked the Pokemon in front of him.

"Not exactly." The Professor cut in. "It's using telepathy to speak with you."

"Telepathy?" Brandon asked.

"I can send my thoughts to you." The Pokemon said. It sounded like a he. The voice was calming and kind, but at the same time sounded like that of a very brave and valiant person. He sounded like he was possibly 18 years old, but Brandon wasn't quite sure how Pokemon age.

"...What are you?" Brandon asked.

"Can't you see me?" The Pokemon asked, sounding confused. Brandon shook his head.

"I'm blind. I can't see anything." Brandon said. The Pokemon withdrew what Brandon assumed were his paws.

"...I suppose you humans call me a... Lucario?" The Pokemon looked at the Professor.

"Yes, you're right." The Professor agreed, nodding his head.

"Lucario..." Brandon repeated softly. He hadn't heard of that Pokemon before. "Would you mind if I just kinda feel you?"

"Feel me?" Lucario sounded confused and a bit nervous.

"Yeah, I just want to see what you look like." Brandon said. "I would have Tania describe you, but I don't know how long that will take." Brandon wasn't sure how complex the Pokemon was, and decided it would be simpler to "see" for himself.

"Uh, sure." Lucario said.

"Where are you?" Brandon asked.

"I'll come to you." Lucario said. "Hold out your hands." Brandon did as he was told. Brandon felt something furry on his left hand. "This is my face." Brandon started to move his hands over Lucario's face, soon working his way down. Lucario stood perfectly still.

"Sorry if this is awkward for you." Brandon said.

"It's fine." Lucario replied. "I understand, you want to see what I look like."

"Woah!" Brandon's hand met with the horn on Lucario's chest. "Are you okay? Did someone, like, stab you or something?" The Lucario laughed.

"No, it's part of my body. I have one on each of my hands too." Lucario put his paws on top of Brandon's hands. Brandon felt each one, being careful not to prick himself on the horn.

"Cool." Brandon said, laughing a bit too. Brandon carefully made his way up each of Lucario's arms. "It feels like you have a vest on..." Brandon moved down to Lucario's legs, "And shorts too."

"No, it's just part of my body again." Lucario said, looking down at himself.

"And you don't stand on your whole foot... just the toes." Brandon said.

"It helps me move quickly." Lucario explained. "If I stay on my toes, I don't need to push as much off the ground." Brandon stood up.

"I think I know what you look like..." Brandon said. "You remind me a bit of a jackal or something."

"That's exactly right." The Professor said. "Nice job!"

"I've been practicing." Brandon replied proudly. Lucario chuckled a bit.

"Alright, come with me you four." The Professor said. Brandon reached for Tania's hand. "Actually, Brandon, Tania won't be guiding you this time."

"I won't?" Tania asked.

"No. I think Lucario needs some practice, especially if He and Brandon are going to be together." The Professor said.

"W-what do I do?" Lucario asked, sounding somewhat nervous.

"Just grab my hand." Brandon said. He held his hand out. Lucario put his paw in Brandon's hand, and Brandon closed his hand around it. "Now just walk. Go where we need to go. Just warn me if I'm going to hit something or if there's something I need to look out for."

"Right this way." The Professor said, leading them through the doors he entered the room in. Lucario guided Brandon through the hallway.

"Careful, it's a bit wet here..."

"The corner's right next to you, watch your arm."

"What th- careful! Sorry, that Pikachu is going nuts right now, watch your step."

"Sorry!" Tania said. She picked up Pika. "You need to calm down!" She scolded gently. Pika nodded, then made her way up to Tania's head.

"Pika?" Pika looked down, hanging slightly in front of Tania's face.

"Yeah, you're fine." Tania said. Pika crawled back up Tania's head and settled down.

"You can understand her?" Lucario asked.

"I think so." Tania replied. "Not like I understand you of course, but I can figure her out well enough."

"Watch out, doors up ahead." Lucario warned Brandon. Brandon stuck his hand out, and pushed on the door when his hand came in contact.

"It's a pull." Tania said, opening the door for him.

"I could have figured it out!" Brandon said, sounding somewhat whiny.

"Sorry!" Tania apologized. "I can't help it sometimes." The group walked into the room. The sounds of machines, human chatter, and Pokemon calls filled the room.

"Okay, sit down over here." Lucario guided Brandon to a seat, then stood next to him.

"You aren't sitting?" Brandon asked.

"I thought you were blind." Lucario said back.

"Just 'cause I can't see, doesn't mean I can't hear." Brandon replied. "How many Pokemon are here?"

"Only five, including me and Pikachu." Lucario replied, scanning the room. "A Blaziken, a Meloetta, and a... Ditto." Lucario sounded somewhat disgusted.

"What's wrong with Dittos? Out of all of the Pokemon you just named, that's the only one I recognize!" Brandon said.

"They just give me the creeps." Lucario shuddered a bit.

"I can see why." Tania replied, looking at the strange blob.

"So, what belongs to who?" Brandon asked.

"Abraham has the Blaziken, Jennifer has the Meloetta, and the nerdy kid has the Ditto." Tania said.

"How do you know all those Pokemon names anyway?" Brandon asked Lucario.

"...I don't know. I just do." Lucario responded.

"You know about the world pretty well too, but you've only been here for five minutes..." Brandon mused. "I guess the scientists must have given you some information."

"I guess." Lucario said.

"Do you remember being created?" Tania asked. Pika stared at Tania as if she had no idea what she was talking about.

"No. I just opened my eyes, and there you were. I know that I was created, but, I don't remember how I was. I suppose it's like when you humans are just born, you don't really remember what happens before then." Lucario said, leaning against the wall.

"I don't even remember being six!" Tania replied, laughing a bit. "Must be pretty weird, just suddenly waking up for the first time."

"Yeah," Lucario chuckled, "It is a little."

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" The Professor called from the front. Lucario stood back up. "Now that you all have your Pokemon, I just want to speak to you about what I want you to do for us." The Chancey from before walked back out, this time carrying ten small pins. "We want you and your Pokemon to wear these pins every day. They are the first thing you put on in the morning, and the last thing you take off." The Chancey walked to each person. Tania grabbed two and began to fashion the pin into a barrette for Pika. Lucario grabbed two pins, and handed one to Brandon before clipping it onto himself. It was a simple pin, made to look like a tiny Pokeball.

"These pins," The Professor continued, "Will record what you and your Pokemon do each day, and how you generally feel towards each other. This will allow us to see whether this project will a commercial success, or if Pokemon don't exist here for a reason."

"Will we get to keep our Pokemon?" The nerdy kid asked, raising his hand.

"Yes Joseph, you will get to keep your Pokemon." The Professor answered.

"Can we battle them?" Joseph asked again.

"That's entirely up to you and Ditto." The Professor again responded. "Now, please, hold all questions 'til the end, I promise, I'm almost done." The Professor paused for a moment, gathering his train of thought. "...Ah, yes, taking care of your Pokemon. Each of your Pokemon has different needs. Some are able to take better care of themselves than others. They all have different diets, among other things, and all have different personalities. We will provide you with information on your Pokemon that will tell you all you need to know. We wish you the best of luck, and we hope that you will enjoy your time with your Pokemon. Now, questions?"

"Yeah," Jennifer raised her hand. "Do these guys require special food or something?"

"If they do, we will supply it for you." The Professor answered.

"What are we going to do when we go to school?" Abraham asked.

"You can choose whether to bring them along or not. It's up to you."

"What if they get hurt?" Tania asked, holding Pika in her arms. "I doubt the vet knows what to do with Pokemon."

"Bring them here, we have a Pokemon Treatment Center all ready for you."

"Do we get Pokeballs?" Joseph asked.

"Unfortunately, no, we don't know how to even make those. The only reason Pokemon in our world became a possibility was because we were doing the right thing, in the right place, at the right time, not to mention we had an incredibly healthy dose of luck. It could be years before Pokeballs become a possibility." The Professor scanned the room. "Any more questions?"

"What if our parents won't let us keep them?" Brandon asked, suddenly thinking about his mom. She loved pets, but was incredibly allergic to pet fur.

"If that's the case," The Professor thought for a moment. "Come talk to me. We'll get things sorted out, possibly see if we can give the Pokemon to a new owner. However, I don't see that happening anytime soon. Now, if that's all, you are dismissed. Thank you again for participating." The Professor nodded, then walked off. The testers stood in the room, silently.

"Okay, well," Tania broke the silence. "I'm Tania, this is Pika." She pointed to Pika, who happily squeaked.

"Oh my gosh, it's so cute!" Jennifer said, looking at it. "Just as cute as my Meloetta ."

"Melo!" The Meloetta gave a cutesy wink.

"Aaaaw, she's so pretty! Just like you I might add!" Tania walked over and the two immediately started talking about... well, you know, whatever girls talk about.

"Hey Lucario, can you help me over to Abraham?" Brandon asked.

"Sure." Lucario replied. The two made their way over.

"...You're Brandon, right?" Abraham asked when the two made it over.

"Yeah. Abraham?" Brandon asked back. Abraham nodded.

"...Is your name Abraham?" Brandon asked again, thinking Abraham didn't hear him.

"I nodded." Abraham replied. "Didn't you see me?"

"I'm blind." Brandon shrugged. "I don't do much seeing anymore."

"Oh..." Abraham shifted awkwardly in his seat.

"Don't worry about it." Brandon replied. "You're not the first to not know, and you certainly won't be the last. I'm okay with it now."

"I'm sorry." Abraham said.

"Don't worry about it." Brandon replied. "So... Blaziken... what does he, or she, look like?"

"He." Abraham said. "Um... he kinda reminds me of a giant chicken..."

"Blaze?" The Blaziken sounded somewhat offended.

"Sorry, not a chicken!" Abraham apologized. "Um... I don't know man, he's hard to describe."

"Try. We'll see what happens." Brandon said.

"Well... he's taller than you and me... I dunno, six foot two, maybe three... He's got these cream feathers that look like he has hair. His face is red, almost reminds me of a hawk's face. He has red feathers that cover his body, except for his feet, they have yellow feathers, and his claws... which look a bit like the feet of a chicken actually, but bigger and sharper. He's pretty thin... and yeah, I think that's it."

"Nice job." Brandon had a picture in his mind. "Although, I think I like the image of a giant chicken better." Brandon said, chuckling a bit.

"Careful, Blaziken looks like he's getting mad at you..." Lucario warned.

"Er, no offense Blaziken, just a bit of a joke..." Brandon quickly said. "Sorry."

"Blaze." He sounded a bit stand-offish, but nonetheless accepting of the apology.

"So, what do you have?" Abraham asked.

"This is Lucario." Brandon said.

"Hello." Lucario nodded at Abraham.

"You talk?" Abraham asked, sounding amazed.

"Didn't you hear him before, when he warned me about Blaziken?" Brandon asked.

"Nope. Didn't hear a thing." Abraham said.

"I use telepathy. I use my thoughts to speak, and I can choose who receives my thoughts." Lucario said.

"Oh." Abraham said. "That's useful."

"Guys, come here, you gotta see this!" Tania said, rushing up to the group. She grabbed Brandon's arm and pulled him over to where she and Jennifer were. "Come on Abraham!" Abraham looked at Blaziken and Lucario.

"Girls..." Abraham shook his head, as he and the two Pokemon walked over.

"Okay, you have to watch this!" Jennifer said. "...Joseph, come on!" She waved over Joseph, who was sitting along with his Ditto in the corner. Joseph looked hesitant. Tania rolled her eyes, walked over, and pulled him over to the group. Joseph blushed a bit.

"Don't be so alone!" Tania said. "We're all in this together!" She said. "Okay, go!" She excitedly told Jennifer.

"Okay Meloetta, do what you did before!" Jennifer said. Meloetta started to clear her throat.

"Looks like she needs to get ready." Tania said. "Be patient guys!"

"Meloetta?" Brandon asked Lucario.

"She's a music Pokemon by the look of it. Her hair is green, looks like the musical staff."

"Staff?" Brandon asked.

"That thing with all the lines on it when you look at music. Where the notes go." Lucario explained. "It looks like she has a microphone on her head as well... She has a black dress looking thing, white legs and feet, black hands... that look a bit like musical notes, and a white face, with green eyes and a green jewel in the middle of her forehead. She's about up to your knee." Lucario finished.

"Shh!" Tania looked at Lucario. "She's starting!" The Meloetta took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She started to sing, in a hushed tone. Music started to fill the room.

"How did we not notice this before?" Brandon asked.

"SHH!"

The Meloetta started to sing louder, holding her hands out. She began to rise into the air.

"What's going on?" Brandon asked, hearing everyone gasp.

"She's floating!" Lucario said, amazed. "She's... changing!"

The microphone on the side of Meloetta's face began to travel up her hair, passing over small blue dots, which made a chiming sound as the mic passed over them. The Meloetta's color changed from green to orange, and the dress she wore separated into four pieces, which flared out, almost like a tutu. She slowly sank to the ground as she finished her song.

"What now?" Brandon asked.

"She's the same, but her hair and eyes are orange, and her hair's done up now." Lucario explained.

"That's Relic Song!" Joseph exclaimed.

"Relic Song?" Jennifer asked, looking at Joseph.

"Yeah!" Joseph excitedly moved towards the Meloetta. "It's the only move that can not only do damage, but have the chance to put a Pokemon to sleep! Plus, it makes Meloetta change from Aria Form to Pirouette Form!"

"Aria Form? What's that?" Tania asked, shaking Pika to try and wake her up.

"It's what she was when she was green." Joseph explained. "When in Aria Form, Meloetta are beautiful singers, but when they change to Pirouette Form, which is what she's in now, they become amazing dancers! Wanna show us?"

"Mele!" Meloetta cheered, before gracefully twirling in the air and dancing around the room.

"Now she's-" Lucario started.

"Don't bother." Brandon said, a hint of sadness tinging his voice. "Dancing isn't easy to describe. Just leave it be."

"Wow! That's amazing Meloetta!" Jennifer said, as the Pokemon finished.

"How'd you know about all of that Joseph?" Tania asked.

"I play a lot of Pokemon!" He said, shrugging. "Meloetta's in Black 2 and White 2."

"Ooh, what can you tell me about Pika?" Tania asked excitedly, holding the slightly groggy Pikachu up to Joseph's face.

"Umm... She stores electricity in her cheeks, which she needs to discharge once in a while, so keep some dirt handy." Joseph said. "Oh, and don't pull her tail. She won't like that."

"Pika?" The groggy Pikachu looked at her owner.

"No, it's okay, you can go back to bed if you want." Tania said. Pika nodded and closed her eyes, as she slumped over in Tania's outstretched hands. Tania giggled and cradled the Pikachu in her arms.

"You're just full of information, aren't you?" Abraham said.

"I've been playing since I was a kid, and I've beaten every game 100%." Joseph said proudly. "I know everything you need to know!"

"If that's the case, can I have your number?" Tania asked, whipping out her cell phone. "I might want to get ahold of you if I have questions."

"Oooh, me too!" Jennifer said, taking hers out. Soon, everyone was exchanging numbers.

"Here Brandon, let me put in mine."

"Woah, that's like one digit off from my mom's."

"Nice phone Joe!"

"Oooh, let me take a pic of you real quick."

"Lucario, who has my phone? This isn't mine."

After everyone got their phone's back, the group sat back down.

"Anything I should know about Blaziken, Joe?" Abraham asked.

"Probably going to be pretty active." Joseph said. "He's trained in martial arts, especially in punching and kicking. Flame comes out of his wrists when he's fighting, and his legs are strong enough to jump 30-story buildings!"

"Wow!" Abraham looked at Blaziken.

"In a city like New York, Blaziken should have plenty of places to exercise." Joseph said.

"What about Lucario?" Brandon asked.

"I can't tell you myself?" Lucario looked at Brandon, with an eyebrow raised.

"Lucario is the only Pokemon that can completely understand human speech. His species is known to use telepathy to talk to humans, like he's doing to you now." Joseph explained. "Plus, they have the ability to feel aura."

"What's aura?" Brandon asked.

"It's like a life force. Everything gives out one." Lucario explained, stepping in. "I have the ability to see them. So, even if I close my eyes, I can tell who or what is coming."

"Wow..." Brandon said, in awe. "I wish I could do that..."

"Well, now you have Lucario to do it for you!" Tania said, grabbing Brandon's hand and putting it on Lucario's shoulder. Brandon chuckled lightly. He took his hand off of Lucario. A cloud seemed to pass over his face, a look of slight sadness causing his forehead to crease.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go sit down for a bit." Brandon said turning. "I'm feeling a bit light-headed..."

"Oh, let me help you!" Tania said, moving over towards Brandon.

"No, I'm fine, I know where they are." Brandon waved Tania off. He walked slowly over to the chairs, and took a seat.

"Did I say something?" Tania asked.

"Not intentionally." Jennifer said, staring at Brandon, who sat in a slump in his chair. "I don't think he likes needing help."

"Shouldn't he be used to it?" Joseph asked. "I mean, hasn't he been blind his whole life?"

"No..." Tania said, a moment of realization crossing over her. "He's only been blind for six months."

"Six months? How do you know?" Abraham asked.

"Because I was on the bus crash that made him go blind!" Tania said, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a large red scar on her shoulder. "I was lucky... but him." Tania looked at Brandon. "He was right next to the window the semi crashed into. He got the majority of the blow. I thought he looked familiar!"

"Pika?!" Pika looked shocked, and stared at Brandon sadly.

"It is." Lucario told Pika as he looked at Brandon.

"What'd she say?" Jennifer asked.

"Something along the lines of 'That's so sad.'" Lucario translated.

"Go talk to him!" Tania urged.

"...What?" Lucario looked at Tania a bit worriedly.

"Go talk to him! Cheer him up!" Tania urged again.

"What do I say? I'm part of the reason he's sad!" Lucario said. "You should be the one to go talk to him!"

"Guys, maybe we should all go?" Joseph suggested. "We are all in this together now, right? We need to support each other."

"Blaze..." Blaziken looked at Joseph for a moment, looking slightly hesitant.

"He's worried we'll offend him more." Lucario translated again.

"DITTO!" The pink blob suddenly jumped in the middle of the group. "Dit, Ditto, dit dit dit to dit!"

"...He's right." Lucario sighed. Meloetta looked at Ditto wide-eyed, and slowly nodded. Blaziken looked down at the Ditto, a look of surprise crossing its face, while Pika just looked stunned.

"What?" Abraham asked.

"Well, aside from some rude remarks towards Blaziken, it said we need to stop being such babies and be there for a friend." Lucario said, smiling a bit. "You've got quite a handful there." Lucario said to Joseph. The group looked at each other and nodded, before walking towards their friend.


End file.
